An electronic chassis which houses electronic components for high speed telecommunication and networking applications typically includes two card guide assemblies mounted between side walls of the chassis, one located adjacent the top of the chassis and the other located adjacent the bottom of the chassis. A backplane circuit board having various surface mounted connectors is typically fastened to the two card guide assemblies and forms the back wall of the chassis. A plurality of vertically oriented circuit board assemblies, each of which are typically comprised of a circuit board attached to a rigid U-shaped channel member, are typically inserted into the chassis along the card guide assemblies. When a circuit board assembly is fully inserted into the chassis, the circuit board is connected to the backplane circuit board. The backplane circuit board typically supplies power to the plurality of circuit board assemblies located within the chassis.
Typically, electrical power is supplied to the circuit board of the circuit board assembly only when the circuit board is fully inserted in the chassis and the circuit board is physically connected to the backplane circuit board. The circuit board assembly is typically secured to the chassis by fastening screws which secure the U-shaped channel member to the frame of the chassis.
Problems may arise when a user attempts to install or remove a circuit board assembly from the backplane circuit board while the backplane circuit board is providing power to adjacent circuit board assemblies. When a user desires to remove a circuit board assembly from the chassis, the fastening screws are removed so that the channel member can be separated from the chassis. When the circuit board assembly is pulled outward in a direction away from the backplane circuit board, the electrical connection between the circuit board and the backplane circuit board is broken. The physical removal of the circuit board while it is electrically connected to the backplane circuit board oftentimes has an adverse electrical effect of the adjacent circuit board assemblies. Similarly, installing a circuit board assembly while the backplane circuit board is providing power to adjacent circuit board assemblies may also have an adverse effect on the electronics within the system.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an apparatus for activating and deactivating a switch mounted on a circuit board assembly housed in an electronic chassis that overcomes the disadvantages described above.